Electric switch for railway-traffic-controlling devices.



L. GRIFFITH.

ELECTRIC SWITCH POE RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED mm 20, 1904.

921,237. Patented May 11, 1909.

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L. GRIFFITH. ELECTRIC SWITCH FOB. RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1904.

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LAWRENCE GRIFFITH, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

FEDERAL SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR RAILWAY-TRAFFIC-CONTROLLING DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Original application filed March 23, 1903, Serial No. 149,961. Divided and this application filed June 20, 1904. Serial No. 213,335.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE GRIFFITH, a citizen of the cit of Yonkers, county of Nestchester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches for Railway- Traffic-Oontrolling Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to switches or controllers for electric circuits, and its objects are to provide a device whereby, upon a par tial movement of the same, a circuit or circuits will be broken and a circuit or circuits maintained and upon a complete movement of the same, circuits will be broken and established and upon a partial return move ment after a partial forward movement in either direction circuits will be broken and established.

To this end my invention consists of a switch or controller having a stationary member and two members movable with ref erence thereto.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood 1 shall describe in detail the mode in which I carry the same into practice and then point out the novel features of the invention in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification, in which similar parts are designated by like numerals in all the figures; of which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of my invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a modification thereof. Figs. 8, 4, 5, and 6 are diagrammatic views of the switch shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, 47 is the stationary part of the switch and is provided with contact heads 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, and 66. 45 and 46 are members movable with reference to said stationary part 47. Said movable part 46 is provided with double contact heads 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, and 72, and said movable part 45 is provided with contact heads 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, and 60. The two movable parts 45 and 46 are arranged to slide upon the stationary part 47 and also each other. The movable part 45 is provided with any convenient handle or lever connection, such as connecting rod 44, lever 36, and handle 35, said lever and handle being journaled at 34 upon the frame.

The member 45 has depending lugs 53 and.- 54 at its respective ends to abut against the ends of the member 46 and carry said memher with it until stopped therewith at the end of its travel in either direction. The member 46 has also depending lugs 51 and 52 at its respective ends to abut against the ends of the stationary member 47 and limit the travel of the movable member thereon in either direction. 87 indicates the sourceof electric energy and 88, 94, 95, 96, 99, 100, 101, 104, 105, 106, 107, 10s, 118, 119, 120, and 121, the wiring.

Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 6 show the connections made by the switch shown in Fig. 1 as it is thrown from normal to complete reverse position. Should the circuits established by the connections made in the position shown in Fig. 4 fail to perform their proper functions, a partial return may be made to the position shown in Fig. 5, thereby establishing circuits by the connections there shown. This device whereby a circuit or circuits may be broken and madethrough the dependent member 46 after it has been moved to operative position or less than its full stroke, is one of the principal features of my invention. Of course, it will be readily understood that in going from full reversed position, Fig. 6, to normal position, Fig. 1, similar connections may be made.

In Fig. 2 another adaptation or arrangement of my switch is shown in which the movable parts thereof are not arranged vertically with reference to each other and the stationary part. The stationary part in this case is represented by the contact points 17 and 18, and 16, 18 and 14, and 11 and 12, and the movable parts by the bridges 20 and 21; said bridges 20 and 21 are borne on rod 19, and it will be understood that bridge 21 is loose upon said rod 19 and it is only carried when it meets the stops 22 and 23. 41, 42, 43, 44, and 46 indicate the wiring in connection with the device shown in Fig. 2.

It will be readily understood that the movable parts could be arranged to move relatively with the stationary part in other ways; for instance, should they be arranged to move with reference to each other as the parts of a fan, the main feature of my invention being an electric switch having two parts movable relatively to a third part, and one of the two parts depending for its motion upon the movement of the other movable part during part of its stroke.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electric switch consisting of top, middle, and bottom members, the top member sliding over the middle member and having lugs to abut against and move the middle member with it in both directions, and rovided with a series of contacts, the mir dle member sliding over the bottom member and having lugs to abut against the bottom member and limit its movement thereon in both directions, and provided with a series of double contacts, and the bottom member having a series of contacts, the double contacts on the middle member serving as circuit closers electrically to connect certain pairs of contacts on the top and bottom members in different relative positions of the members, substantially as described.

2. An electric switch or circuit controller comprising a stationary part and two parts movable relative to each other and relative to said stationary part, each of said parts being provided with contacts, said contacts being arranged to make a circuit or circuits upon a partial movement of both of said movable parts in either direction and to break the same and make other circuit or circuits upon a partial return of the controlling one of said two movable parts, means whereby movement of the controlling one of the movable parts will carry with it through part of its stroke, the other movable part and means whereby said stationary part Will check the movement of said other movable part.

3. An electric switch or circuit controller, comprising a stationary part and two adjacent superposed parts movable relative to each other and relative to said stationary part, each of said three parts being provided with insulated contacts, said contacts being arranged to make one or more circuits upon a movement of both of said movable parts in one direction, and to break the same and to make one or more other circuits upon another movement of one of said movable parts, and means whereby movement of the last mentioned movable part will carry with it through part of its stroke the other movable art. p 4. An electric switch or circuit controller, comprising a stationary part and two adjacent superposed parts movable relative to each other and relative to said stationary part, each of said three parts being provided with contacts, said contacts being arranged to make one or more circuits upon a partial movement of both of said movable parts in either direction, and to break the same, and to make one or more other circuits upon a partial return of one of said two movable parts, and means whereby movement of the last mentioned one of said movable parts will carry with it through part of its stroke the other movable part.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 18th day of June 1904.

LAWRENCE GRIFFITH.

/Vitnesses:

J. F. BOUDREAU, H. V. N. PHILIP. 

